Lens cap



y 8, 1945. G. LAUBE 2,375,420

LENS CAP Filed Jan. 11, 1943 IN VEN TOR Grover Laube' I I BY (a/rw/ ATTORNEY Patented May 8, 19 45 A plication mam, will 1 88-:5'1)

' 1 we arms on v fs s t cant, as i ns a J' ry Fox Film Corporation, Los 'ajco'rporation of New York 1943, Serial 4:11,:154, E

invention relates to camera accessories and deals particularly with a; novel 1mg cap.) ,The-lens cap to be described hereiri'aiter' has been designed primarilyforuse upon a motion picture camera such as is usedi n motion picture studiosbut it will becomeevidentto those versed in the art that the same type of cover with ,modifieations in dimensions may be used on all types of cameras, including those usedin the field of miniatures, portraits; commercial;professional and amateur.

In all camera work it'iscustomary tocbventhe lens when not in use various types ofxcovers have been used foathis purpose but up to the present no cap 'has'been enti rely satisfactory since ures 2 and 3, it can be seen that mycap corn:-

prises a casing generally designated H. The casing abovestated maybe cup-shaped or (it may be'described as "having a flat disklikewalltlZ 5 bounded by anvouter rim l3, which in turnis formed witha return bend "flange is, thereby leaving xacircular :opening' l5 iormed by .the flange 14.; The opening is made substantially the samezdiameter as the end ofthe lens mount that receives the cap; structuregivest'a recessin the rim"I.3into whichl insert :a ring l-B it either deteriorates too fast with'use, or becomes inadvertently dislodged too easily, or .ifit is a tight fitting cap it req'uires'so much force to put on and take off that'the lens mount is apt tober come strained anddamaged.- l

The lens cap embodied in ithis..in vention *'has been designed'to provide a light, durable cover which can be easily and rapidly mounted or diswill: vary for different sizes of caps.

mounted without placing undue stress upon the lens mount. In its preferred. form, it, comprises a casing having an expansible pressure ring which is adapted to frictionally engage the front rim of the lens mount with ayieldingpressure; Part of the novelty of the invention resides in the type a of ring used and the manner in which it is y eldingly mounted in the casing to provide a uniform in fixed tension which does not change with use.

One advantage of using a ring ofthis type is that the ring may be made of suitable material which will withstand abrasion and will not deteriorate ll of Figure 2 cover in section as it would be mounted over a lens. v

Briefly stated, the invention amounts to the combination of a cup-shaped, casing having; a

spring pressed floating ring mounted in the rim of the casing so that the full diameter of the front end of the lens mount may be forced into the ring where it is gripped byfriction and the cap is securely held over the lens.

Referring to the drawing for a more'complete description of the device and particularly to Figline 2-2 of'Figure 3 which is split asshown at 16a. The outeridia m; eter of the ring It is somewhat less than the inner diameter of the rim L3 to allowlexpansion of'pthe ring. The amount of difieren'ce in these .two diameters would predetermined by practice and innerdiameterof the ring is slightly less than the diameter of the circular opening l5',"and"is like; wise "less. than the outer diameter :of ilihe l filltfir end of the lens mount, to allow for expansionist thezrin lwhen' the cap is mounted ont-thefront end of the mount. Both the flange l4 and the I edged the ring l6 are rounded as shown in Figures 2 and 4 to allow for easy entrance of the lensmount into the cap. The ring i6 is held in a tight, closed position within the rimll'3 by means'of a spring I1 which, as shown, is a short, I flat leaf spring substantially the same width as,

the ring and is placed in the recess as best shown in Figure3. One end of the spring may be turned as illustrated'at l8 to allow it to dig into the inner surface of" the rim l3 and prevent its moving around within the recess.

a In practice it was found that if the spring was placeddiametrically opposite the cut in the ring, the best results were obtained... Under the arrangement just described,

the spring I! will exert a force which holds the ring ll .pressed against the upper inner surface of the rim I3, thereby forming an eccentricarrangement of the inner ring with the rim. .The

purpose of thisis to hold a part of the ring outside the inner diameter of the flange M forming the opening, l5so that the outer end of the lens mount may be inserted into .the cap in a cooked position somewhat similar to the way tires are I mounted on'drop center rims. In Figure l,it can be seen how this'arrangement holds the ring Hi in an eccentric position so that the upper part of the ring falls behind the flange 14 while the op-H posite part of the ringcomes from behind thei flange and is shown on the bottom of the view in Figure 1.

'- The cap is mounted over a lens by hooking one the outer rim I9 of a side of the flange l4 over A150, the

{ring closed and eccentric with respectto said recess.

lens mount (fragmentarily shown) and then by a gentle pressure forcing the-cap home until the g ring I6 completely encircles the rim [9. In this position the cap is held by friction between the ring and the rim l9 and the ring may be of any suitable, non-deteriorating material to produce a satisfactory gripping action. The cap is best dis-,v mounted by tipping it slightly beforeapplying 7 force to'remove it. After it has been tippd,"it

may be taken off with no appreciable force, thus insuring the mount against any unnecessary stress or strain.

' A lens cap of the foregoing construction, made of suitable material, will providea durable, inexdisklike wall and 'an' upstanding circular flange j on said wall, an inwardly extending flange on said circular flange spaced from said wall forming a circular opening adapted to receivethe front end of a lens mount, a split ring mounted inside said circular flange between said wall and said inwardly extending flange, the outside diameter of said ring when closed being slightly less than the inside diameter of saidcircular. flange, the inside diameter of said ring when closed being slightly vless than thediameter of said circular opening, and a comparatively short section of a flat leaf spring inserted between saidring and said circu lar flangeadapted t0, hold said ring closed in an eccentric position; with respect to said'circular opening; I

4. A lenscap comprising a casing having a flat walland an upstanding circular flange on said wall, an inwardly extendin flange on said circ'u-' lar flange spaced from said wall forming a circularyopening adapted to receive rthegfront end of a lens mount,"asplit-ring mounted-inside said hind'said ring in saidfrecess adapted 'to'hold jsaid 1 2. A lens cap comprising a casinghavingaflat wall and an upstandingcircular flange on said wall, aninwardly extending flange on said circular flange spaced from saidwall forming a circu lar opening adapted to receive the front end of a lens mount, a'csplit ring mounted inside saidcir- :cular flange between said wall and said inwardly extending flange, the outside diameter of said ring when closed being slightly less than-thein- ,side diameter of said"circularfiangey'the inside diameter of said ring when closed. being slightly less than the diameter of said circular opening, and acomparatively short section ofa flat leaf spring inserted between said ring and said'circularflange adapted toholdsaid rin in a closed Dosition.- I w i '3.A lens cap comprising a casing hav'ing a circular flange between said wall and said inwardly extending flange, the outside, diameter of I said ringwhen closed being slightlylessthanthe inside diameter of said circular flange, and a comparatively= short" sectioneof a flat leaf spring mounted between said'split ring and said circular flange adapted to hOldiSfiid liIlg c10Sed finall position with-respectto said circular eccentric flange. i i V 15. A lens cap comprising a circular closure disk having an upstanding "flange on, the periphery thereof, there being an internal recess in said flange,a ring mounted in said recess, said ring being cut" transversely at one pointthereof and Q of slightly-less diameter than said recessto allow 1 expansion of the ring, and a comparatively short section of a flat leaf-spring in said recess behind with respect to said flange.

saidring for holding said ring slightly eccentric I G ov'ER LAUBE. 

